Elsie Henderson was born in Eastbourne, Sussex. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London and, in 1916, enrolled at Chelsea Polytechnic to study lithography. She is best known for animal drawings, and as an animal draughtsman she stood out among 20th Century artists. Her most characteristic works were those depicting the big cats, capturing their power and elegance. Many of her subjects were to be found in London Zoo in Regent’s Park. Although she exhibited in several group exhibitions alongside artists such as Paul Nash and Orovida Pissarro, it was not until 1985 that Henderson had her first solo exhibition.

Further reading:
Friends: Elsie Henderson (1880 - 1967) and Orovida Pissarro (1893 - 1968), Michael Parkin Ltd, London 1985 (introduction by Marjorie Althorpe-Guyton)

Glossary

  • Lithography

    Lithography means, literally, stone drawing. In addition to fine grain lithographic stones, metal plates can also be used for lithography. The method relies on the fact that grease repels water. An image is drawn in a greasy medium onto the stone or plate, which is then dampened with water. Greasy printing ink rolled onto that surface will adhere to the design but be repelled by the damp area. The inked image is transferred to the paper via a press. For large editions, the grease is chemically fixed to the stone, and gum arabic, which repels any further grease marks but does not repel water, is applied to the rest of the surface. For colour lithography the artist uses a separate stone or plate for each colour required.